SHAKTI – A FEMINIST DANCE THEATRE PROJECT
‘Shakti’ is a unique initiative to empower young dancers to include issues of social justice, viewed through the perspective of feminist ideology, into their work in mainstream performance. ‘Shakti’ aims to create a space for critical reflection, based on the conviction that the arts, and the artists who practice them, do not exist in a vacuum, but are active participants in the process of shaping our culture. It aims to direct young dancers to believe that creativity and imagination are powerful instruments to change lives and build a better world.
Shadhona, A Center for Advancement of Southasian Culture, successfully completed an experimental workshop entitled ‘Shakti – A Feminist Perspective Building and Performance Workshop’ from 13 to 22 April, 2012 at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. In view of the enthusiastic response received by Shakti, both by performers and audience, Shadhona has now expanded its work with social justice to include dancers from all over Bangladesh. We hope to disseminate our work all over Bangladesh.
As part of our Shakti Project, Shadhona has started work on issues of Food Security and Food Sustainability through OXFAM’s GROW Campaign. Women farmers from the grassroots are part of the performances besides young dancers from each region of Bangladesh. The performances are expected to sensitize the general mass and influence the policy makers towards establishing the rights of women farmers.
WORK WITH DIFFERENTLY ABLED CHILDREN
Shadhona has conducted several workshops for differently, physically and mentally, abled children who are part of the BRAC Education Program. Gaining from our experience from ‘Shakti’, we conducted two workshops for Children with special needs. It is our hope that we continue with this workas we firmly believe that dance is a unique method of liberating the body and empowering it with new ways of communication.
TRAINING OF TRAINERS
Shadhona has been training Primary School Teachers to conduct dance/music/elocution classes at the various schools run under the BRAC Education Program